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Meeting Details
Date: Tuesday 28 September 2023
Time: 11:00 – 13:00
Venue: Microsoft Teams Meeting
Agenda Item: Pre-Meeting Support
Agenda Item 1 : Welcome and Introduction
1.1 Board Members were asked to introduce themselves in the Teams chat function
1.2 Welcome and introductions made. Communication prompts posted to the Teams Chat window, and their use explained. No reasonable adjustments were requested. Members reported no declaration of
interest.
Minutes and action log approved by the Norfolk Autism Partnership Board (NAPB)
1.3 Action: Arrange for Pathological Demand Avoidance update
Update: An update will be heard at the diagnosis working group at their next meeting scheduled for the 05/10/2023
1.4 Action: Rachel Gates to feedback to the NAPB on the request for Autistic people to join the LD& A
partnership Board.
Update: Due to the work that Tricordant are carrying out across Norfolk County council with regards to their governance structure, this has been put on hold. The LD & A Board are concerned that they are not properly equipped to allow Autistic people to have meaningful engagement with the LD & A Board currently. The partnership have said it would be better to have involvement from Autistic people at the earliest stage possible to ensure that the meetings are appropriate and accommodating.
1.5 Action: Maria Karretti will be asked to bring the draft Pre and post diagnosis leaflets to present that the next board meeting.
Agenda Item 2 : Oversight Board Update
2.1 AG Gave an oversight of the Oversight board to remind board members and to also refer them to the
Terms of reference for the group as a refresher
2.2 The oversight board has agreed on a set of priorities it would like to take forward. The next set of oversight board meetings will focus on each of these priorities and try to find the specific problems within them
2.3 The oversight board hopes to present its ‘Live Priorities Document’ to the Partnership Board in early
2024
Agenda Item 3: Social Care Reform Programme – LAS Client Portal
3.1 The NAPB welcomed Rachel-Hyde Smith and Sonia Kerrison to the Board meeting where they gave a
presentation and demonstration on the new Liquidlogic Adults System (LAS) Client Portal.
3.2 In Dec 2021 the government released their “People at the heart of care: adult social care reform paper”.
This is one of 4 documents that intends to deliver the government promise for adult social care.
The full implementation of this reform has been delayed until Oct 2025 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
3.3 NCC faces significant challenges in managing the predicted demand for social care services. They aim to future proof Adult Social care by:
- The correct policies
- Having the right people in place
- Increasing the use of technology within social
care
3.4 The LAS client accounts and portal will allow people (or their representatives) to access and receive
information securely
3.5 Having a LAS account is not mandatory. Accounts can be held by the person or their representative’s if
they have been granted consent In order to set up the accounts the person using the account will need an email account and their phone. Accounts can be accessed on any device with an internet connection, such as laptop, PC or tablet
3.6 The benefits of having access to aLAS client account are:
- Not reliant on workers being in the office, or on functioning postal service
- Can receive and view download and print documents.
- Can view information from their social care record. Documents are secure in the Portal.
- Can complete financial assessment
3.7 The reform team are currently working with 3 teams and have set up 127 accounts (end of July 2023)
Some issues have already been highlighted as needing to be addressed.
3.8 Lessons learnt so far:
- We need to expand the demographic to include younger people who are already comfortable
using technology and to do this our next pilot is with the Preparing for Adult Life team. - We need to simplify the registrations process to do this we will provide more support.
- We needed to show staff and people who use our services the benefits of a LAS Client portal
account, we have created a slide that we use both in training our staff and our communications.
3.9 The Social Care reform team would like people to get involved. They can do this by emailing Socialcarereformenquiries@norfolk.gov.uk
This could involve:
- Completing a survey
- Attend focus groups to give your views
3.10 The partnership then received a demonstration of the new portal.
3.11 Question: What can the NAPB do to help the design and rollout of this system?
Answer: At this stage we would like people’s views on the system and what needs to be added/changed
to make it accessible for all.
3.12 Other systems such as this are being set up across the county is it possible to have a single log in across all of these to save any confusion.
3.13 RC asked if the Children’s version of this system could be presented to the Continuing care team and
Navigators team.
Agenda Item 4: Diagnostic Update
4.1 Adult Diagnosis (without a Learning Disability)
- 180 waiting up to18 weeks
- Annual average referrals of 85 each month
Total number of adults waiting 674 (24% increase since completion of the initiative work completed)
Waiting period breakdown:
- 22 waiting between 200-104 weeks (1 person waiting longer than 200wks)
- 168 waiting between 104–52 weeks
- 324 waiting between 52-18 weeks
- 180 waiting up to 18 weeks
4.2 With the waiting list initiative work ended, continued high referral rates and low assessment outcomes has resulted in a 24% increase in people waiting a diagnosis. Those 22 people waiting between 104 and 200 weeks in July 2023, is the lowest reported. 386 people were waiting in December 2021 that means a percentage reduction of 94%. Commissioners continue to work with the NAP diagnosis working group to re-engineer adult autism diagnostic pathways and in line with procurement regulations to recommission the service from October 2024.
4.3 Children and Young People wait times. Norfolk Community and Health Trust (central and West)
As of June 2023
- 5496 children on the waiting list as of May2023
- Average of 200+ referrals month
Waiting times for first appointment:
- 1529 waiting between 104-200 weeks. (466 waiting longer than 200 weeks)
- 1412 waiting between 52 and 104 weeks.
- 1199 waiting between 18-52 weeks.
- 889 waiting under 18 weeks
James Paget Hospital
- 1662 children on the waiting list as of May2023
Waiting times for first appointment:
- 0 waiting between 104-200 weeks.
- 298 waiting between 52 and 104 weeks.
- 917 waiting between 18-52 weeks.
- 447 waiting under 18 weeks
CYP NDD data is shared of which 20% are predicted as needing an autism assessment.
4.4 Full pathway review still awaiting executive approval. ICB consultation has impacted pace.
Waiting list initiative continues Review into referral routes to Neurodevelopmental services underway
4.5 No prior question had been received for this item
4.6 AG (Co-Chair) thanked TW for her ongoing work around diagnostic waiting times.
4.7 JT raised concerns about different waiting times in Norfolk compared to the Waveney area.
During the initiative program which ended in March 2023 many people where offered a choice of where
their assessment would take place with some people opting to remain within the commissioned service
(Autism Service Norfolk) which may lead to different waiting times in the areas.
4.8 Question: Where people offered just the choice once or were they contacted throughout the waiting period to see fi they wished to take up patient choice and pick another provider?
Answer: Letters were sent to everyone on the waiting lists, and they were contacted several times. This was
also done via Telephone with Voluntary Norfolk taking on this role.
4.9 There is a final draft policy for patient choice, which includes Neurodevelopmental conditions.
There are some difficulties understanding the process of patient choice and how people can access this.
Patient choice information should be included in all medical letters and there is active work to make sure
this happens across all areas of the NHS including GP letters.
4.10 The ICB is due to publish guidance on Children and Young People private diagnostic assessments.
4.11 There is a national group that is looking at Diagnostic waiting times for Autistic people. Both TW and RC attend this group.
Agenda Item 5 : Update from the Autism Strategy Reference Group
5.1 LE of the Autism Strategy Reference Group gave up update on the ongoing work of this group
5.2 The group has put together a You said we did document on the progress of the current Norfolk
Autism Strategy and have also been working on a survey and communication tools for this. This is due
to be agreed on the 28th Sept pm.
5.3 The group are going to be working on a communication and distribution plan to ensure that as
many people as possible are able to have their say on the proposed priorities of the new strategy and what
they think partnership should be working together to achieve.
5.4 The board were asked their views on: How do we reach out to engage people in the Autism Strategy
Reference Group? There were some questions around what would be involved in this group and the commitment
5.5 The board were asked their views on: How often would you like to be updated on the progress to
refresh the Autism Strategy? The board agreed that there should be an update at each meeting until this piece of work has been completed.
5.6 The board were asked their views on: What information do you need to see (for example, update
on the plans, a draft of the refreshed Strategy and partners’ plan) and by when?
The Board would like to see all information and items produced at this group.
Agenda Item 6 : Break
6.1 Break – A ten-minute break was held
Agenda Item 7 : Care, Education, Treatment Review Process
7.1 Tracey Wooldridge was invited to provide the board with an update on the Care, Education and
Treatment Review process.
7.2 Nationally there is a current focus on the mandatory training that is being provided and the recruitment and support process for self-advocates/ people with lived experience to be involved.
7.3There is currently no clarity on these plans or what will be involved.
7.4 Tracey Wooldridge will join the Partnership board in early 2024 to provide an update
Agenda Item 8 : Members Story- Education in School
8.1 LE presented a video she had made on the importance of Autistic role models within school.
8.2 The video can be viewed at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo-_O3wVzyU
8.3 Members of the partnership board congratulated LE on her video and the clarity of points that came
across
8.4 Members asked if they could share the video with colleagues across the different organisations. Laura
agreed to this and for it to appear on the Norfolk Autism Partnership Board website.
8.5 Question: Where there any plans to take this video further or distribute it to other organisations?
Answer: No plans to distribute further. However, JJ was keen to support LE in distributing further if they
wished.
8.6 The Anne Freud centre has an incentive of £500.00 for any schools that complete the training that they
are offering.
Agenda Item 9 : Coalition for Change
9.1 LG asked the board if they wish to take up the invitation from Coalition of Change to join.
Documents and invite where sent round prior to the meeting.
9.2 KD asked which membership they were asking the Partnership Board to sign up to
9.3 The partnership agreed that there was not enough information to make an informed decision and ask to invite Coalition of Change to a meeting to answer any questions before we would accept or decline
their invitation
Agenda Item 10 : Any other Business
10.1 LG informed the Partnership board that the contract for the short term adult support service, to be known as ‘Norfolk Autism Adult Support Service’, had been awarded to Realise Futures. Referrals for this service will begin in Jan 2024.
10.2 RC told the partnership about a Top Tips document that has been developed with Family Voice around
accessing Children and Young person mental health services.
10.3 There are currently 3 Navigators posts that are in the recruitment phase
10.4 The Navigators team have won a national award
10.5 Covid Access clinic to be open from November 2023 and are currently accepting referrals. This is not
currently open to Children and Young People
Date, time and location of next meeting
Tuesday 21st November 2023 11:00-13:00 (Microsoft Teams)